Folding shipping-crate.



G. W. PYLB. FOLDING SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 4, 1914. 1,129,01 1. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

4 18 I 7 J M ATTORNEY GEORGE W. PYLE, OF GENEVA, INDIANA.

FOLDING SHIPPING-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed February 4, 1914. Serial No. 816 561.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE lV. PYLE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Geneva, in the countyof Adams and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Folding ShippingCrate, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in folding shipping crates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of folding crates and to provide a simple, strong, and practical'shipping crate of comparatively inexpensive construction, designed for shipping various kinds of merchandise, and capable of collapsing into compact form to enable it to be returned to the shipper at small cost for re-use.

With these and other objects in view the invention. consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the ecope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible shipping crate constructed in. accordance with this invention, and shown in position for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the top and bottom being swung outwardly for convenience of illustration. Fig. 3 is a side elevatiop, the crate being folded.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawingpin which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the crate, which is shown 0b long in plan view and side elevation, may be of any other rectangular form, and it comlooped cross wires and provided with terminal eyes 7 for the reception of pintle rods 8, which pass through registering eyes 9 of horizontal wires 10 of the ends 2 of the crate. While it is preferred to employ steel wire in the construction of the crate, wire of any desired material and size to secure the requisite strength to adapt the crate for any particular use may be employed. The looped cross wires are composed of vertical side portions and horizontal connecting term nal portions, and they are secured to the horizontal or longitudinal wires 5 by any suitable means. such as electric welding. The looped cross or connecting wires at one side 'of the crate extend beyond the top horizontal wire-of said side to form pro- ]ecting loops 10 and the looped cross or connecting wires of the opposite side of the crate are extended at the bottom of the same to provide projecting loops 11. The horizontal wires of the ends of the crate are connected by vertical or cross wires 12, welded or otherwise secured to the intermediate or horizontal wires of the said ends 2. and preferably provided with terminal eyes 13 which embrace the top and bottom wires of the ends of the crate.

The top and bottom 3 and '4 of the crate are of the same construction, and rach preferably cons sts of a marginal wire 14 bent into oblong form and connected at the sides by looped cross wires 15, of approximately U-shape, extending beyond the sides of the marginal wire of the top and bottom and providing terminal loops 16 at the free edges of the said top and bottom of the crate, and having terminal eyes 17 at the hinged sides of the top and bottom 3 and 4 t0,le ceive the terminal projecting loops 10 and 11 of the opposite sides 1 of the crate. The loops 10 and 11 pass through-the eyes 17 and form pintles for the top 3 and bottom 4, which are adapted to swing inwardly with respect to the body of the crate to form the top and bottom thereof and also outwardly against the exterior of the sides 1 to enable the crate to collapse into compact form. The top 3 and bottom -.'t of the crate are also provided with longitudinal bars or members 18 preferably constructed of strap metal, and while only one metal strap or bar 18 is shown at the top and bottom of the crate, any suitable number may be employed, the number varying with the size of the crate. The loops 16 of the top and bottom form convenient means for enabling them to be readily secured to the sides of the crate. lhc top and bottom may be secured in their closed position by wire ties 19, or any other suitable means.

In order to provide a safe shipping crate of great strength and durability, the crate may be braced at suitable intervals by metallic stays 2O constructed of strap metal or other suitable material and ex" :nding across the sides and provided with terminal eyes 21 for embracing the top and bottom wires of the sides. The stays or braces 20 are secured to the intermediate wires of the s des by clips 22 arranged at'the outer faces of the said stays or braces, and extending across the said intermediate wires and riveted or otherwise secured to the stays or braces at spaced points at opposite sides of the intermediate wires. The clips are bowed or bent outwardly between the spaced rivets to embrace the intermediate wires. For eonvenience of illustration only two of such stays or braces are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but they may be arranged at any desired point and will vary in number with the size of the crate. The crate is equipped at its ends with approximately U- shaped handles 23 constructed of wire and aving terminal eyes 24 which embrace the horizontal wires of the ends of the crate. The handles are foldable against the ends of the crate and do not interfere with the compact collapsing of the same.

What is claimed is:

1. A crate including two members. each comprising a plurality of longitudinal wires and a plurality of transverse wires, said longitudinal and transverse wires crossing each other and being conneeted'rigidly at their points of intersection, said transverse wires being arranged in spaced pairs and each pair being formed of a single piece of wire, with the individual wires of each pair spaced apart, one member of the crate hav ing the pairs of transverse wires projecting beyond the marginal longitudinal wire and connected to form offset loops, and the other member having a pair of transverse wires projecting beyond the marginal longitudina wire and twisted to form offset eyes, the eyes of one member being linked into the vided with projecting terminal eyes into which the rigid pro ecting loops of the sides are linked whereby the top and bottom of the plate are hinged to the sides of the crate and are foldable against the exterior thereof.

3. A collapsible crate of the class described, including ends, sides hinged to the ends and collapsible with the same, said sides being provided with top and bottom rigid projecting loops and a top and bottom provided with looped cross or connecting wires of approximately U-shape extended at the side edges of the top and bottom to form rigid projecting loops and to provide rigid projecting terminal portions having eyes into which the loops of the sides are linked.

4. A collapsible crate comprising ends, sides hinged to the ends and collapsible with the same, and a top and bottom, said sides and top and bottom including longitudinal Wires and looped cross or connecting wires conmosed of spaced side portions and connecting transverse portions, said cross or connecting wires extended at the upper and lower edges of the sides and at the side edges of the top and bottom to form rigid projecting loops, and projecting terminals which are provided with rigid eyes to receive the loops, whereby the top and bottom are hinged to the sides.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. PYLE. l'Vitnesses WM. B. DREW, GEO. O STALEY. 

